A rare dinosaur fossil was auctioned this week in New York for $1.05 million, but the sale cannot be completed until ownership rights of the fossil are sorted out.

This issue over the fossil stems from a claim by the Mongolian government that the fossil was illegally taken from the country. The Mongolian government has laws in place that make it a crime to remove fossils from the country.

Robert Painter, an attorney representing the president of Mongolia Elbegdorj Tsakhia, filed a restraining order to prevent the sale of the dinosaur fossil; however, the sale went through with the stipulation that it must first get court approval.

"I feel comfortable that the Tyrannosaurus skeleton is safe," Painter told The New York Observer.

"Once we get the ownership identified, if we're correct and this is the property of the Mongolian nation, this will not go back to the consignor, it will be returned to the Mongolian people. That's our goal," he said.

At the center of this controversy is Heritage Auction House, which is responsible for organizing the sale of the rare fossil. The auction house maintains that the fossil was legally obtained from central Asia and not illegally taken from Mongolia.